Tim Wendelboe
Sources: Tim Wendelboe (website)
Tim Wendelboe is a Norwegian specialty coffee roastery and espresso bar based in Oslo, Norway. Founded by Tim Wendelboe (World Barista Champion 2004), the company is widely respected in the global specialty coffee industry for its sourcing integrity, long-term producer relationships, and technical expertise. Team Wendelboe has 20+ dedicated professionals.
Identity and Operations
- Espresso bar: Grünersgate 1, Grünerløkka, Oslo (open since 30 June 2007)
- Hours: weekdays 08:30–18:00; weekends 11:00–17:00
- Roastery & lab: Tøyengata 29c, 0578 Oslo (relocated from Grünerløkka in 2018; open by appointment)
- Model: Direct trade, single-origin, long-term producer relationships
- Sourcing: Buys directly from producers; for Central/South America, exporters handle milling and export paperwork only — no intermediary importer; in Ethiopia, imports via Belco Trading (French importer); in Kenya, via cooperative wet mills
- Shipping: Worldwide via DHL Express; domestic Norway via Posten
- Contact: hello@timwendelboe.no; (+47) 4000 4062
- Wholesale manager: Ben Symes (handles all restaurant, café, and office accounts)
Tim Wendelboe — Personal History
Tim started as a barista in Oslo in 1998 (age 19) at Stockfleths, a small Oslo café chain. He quickly took over the store and began improving coffee quality; by 2002 he co-opened a second Stockfleths location and by 2005 was head of staff training and quality control across six stores.
Competition record:
- Norwegian Barista Champion: 2001, 2002, 2004
- World Barista Champion: 2004
- World Cup Tasters Champion: 2005
- Nordic Roaster Championship: 8× winner — 2008, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
He left Stockfleths in early 2006 for a year of freelance consulting, then opened the espresso bar at Grünersgate 1 on 30 June 2007 — in a former hair salon with original mosaic tile floors. The roastery relocated to Tøyengata in 2018; the espresso bar remains in its original location. Since 2019, Tim personally farms Finca El Suelo, a 7-hectare regenerative trial farm in El Pital, Huila, Colombia.
Sourcing Portfolio
Tim Wendelboe buys directly from farms and mills across at least 6 origins, with annual visits to all producers. (source: Tim Wendelboe (website))
| Origin | Farm / Mill | Producer | Working since | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Salvador | Los Pirineos | Diego Baraona | 2010 | First purchased at Cup of Excellence auction (for Bourbon Elite); 150+ ha, 1,100–1,400 masl, Tecapa volcano |
| Honduras | Finca el Puente | Marysabel Caballero + Moises Herrera, 300+ ha, near Marcala | ~2004 | Multiple CoE winners; TW Biological Project farm; complete on-site dry-mill; 50 cultivars under trial |
| Honduras | Finca Nacimiento | Jobneel Caceres Dios + Fany, 20 ha, 1,500–1,800 masl, near Lake Yojoa | 2009 | First direct-trade partner; Jobneel’s father Extreberto won 2nd CoE 2008 at Finca Cielito Lindo |
| Honduras | Finca Bertha | Jobneel Caceres Dios, El Sauce, Santa Bárbara | ~2021 | Adjacent to Nacimiento; Pacamara washed; 5th harvest 2025; very small lot (~60 kg) |
| Honduras | Finca el Vikingo | Jobneel Caceres Dios, Geisha, 1,450–1,490 masl | 2019 | Geisha farm planted adjacent to Nacimiento |
| Colombia | Finca Tamana | Elias Roa + Bellanid Sanchez, 57 ha, El Pital, Huila | 2012 | TW Biological Project farm; stainless-steel fermentation tanks; eco-mill (0.5–1 L water/kg); 30+ new cultivars incl. Papayo |
| Colombia | Finca el Suelo | Tim Wendelboe (owned), 7 ha, El Pital, Huila, 1,650–1,700 masl | 2019 | Regenerative learning project; ~600 trees, Ethiopian landrace + Geisha; 2024 yield: 50+ kg green (28 kg Ethiopian landrace, 14 kg cultivar blend); 2025: hired administrator Yurani Roa, planting Sudan Rumé |
| Ethiopia | Echemo | Khalid Shifa, 35 ha, 2,100 masl, Agaro/Goma; organic certified | 2018 | Native forest restoration; heirloom cultivars 80+ years old from Coche forest wild trees; no pesticides or mineral fertilisers; 2023 quality protocol upgrade |
| Ethiopia | Tatmara | Negussie Tadesse, 82 ha, near Bonga/Kaffa | 2018 | Native forest agro-system; 74110 and 74112 cultivars; 2023 wet mill built; 24h fermentation |
| Kenya | Karogoto | Tekangu Farmers Cooperative Society, Nyeri, 1,700+ members | 2009 | Minimum 80% cherry price to farmers; hired agronomist for member training; 12–16h dry fermentation; 10–14 day raised-bed drying |
| Kenya | Kapsokisio | K7 cultivar dominant (~90%) | — | Distinct profile from central-Kenyan SL28/SL34 coffees |
Mexico is also listed as an active origin in the sourcing overview, though no specific farm is named on the website.
Sourcing Philosophy
Tim Wendelboe prioritises clean, less-fermented flavour profiles — coffees that are “true to cultivar.” He visits all producers annually and publishes what he pays (see Transparency Reports below).
For Los Pirineos, Wendelboe has historically requested semi-washed and honey processed lots — choosing these over natural and carbonic macerated lots. His standing specifications:
- Defect-free
- Screen sorted by cultivar
- Dried on raised beds under shade nets
- Stored in airtight GrainPro bags before milling
- Vacuum packed for export
⚠️ Process note: The current active Los Pirineos product (February 2025 harvest) is listed on the website as Washed — not semi-washed or honey. This may indicate a spec change or a one-off washed lot. The historical preference for semi-washed/honey should be verified against the current purchase spec before use as a reference.
Current Product Catalog (as of May 2026)
All coffees sold as 250 g whole beans at timwendelboe.no. Prices in USD. (source: Tim Wendelboe (website))
| Product | Type | Price | Harvest | Flavour notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Pirineos Pacamara | Filter | $20 | Feb 2025 | Tart red berries, stone fruit, dark chocolate |
| Echemo – Certified Organic | Filter | $21 | Dec 2024 | Floral, white tea, stone fruits |
| Echemo Espresso – Certified Organic | Espresso | $21 | Dec 2024 | Floral, white tea, stone fruits |
| Finca Tamana Variedad Colombia | Filter | $21 | — | Caramel, chocolate, red fruits |
| Finca Tamana Castillo Espresso | Espresso | $21 | Jun–Jul 2025 | Herbal, red fruits, dark chocolate |
| Finca Tamana Papayo | Filter | $22 | Jul 2025 | Herbal, tropical fruits, red berries |
| Finca el Puente Batian | Filter | $20 | — | — |
| Finca el Puente Pacamara Honey | Filter | $24 | — | — |
| Finca el Puente Geisha | Filter | $31 | — | — |
| Finca Bertha Pacamara | Filter | $24 | Apr–May 2025 | Dark chocolate, orange peel, tropical fruits |
| Cielito Lindo | Filter | $20 | — | — (sold out) |
| Coffee Berry Fizz | Beverage | $5 | — | Sparkling cascara infusion; 51 mg caffeine/L; made with Flo brewery from Geisha berry skins |
Papayo is a cultivar at Finca Tamana with unknown origin and un-checked DNA; the name refers to the fruit’s papaya-like shape. Progressively improving year over year.
Coffee Berry Fizz is Tim Wendelboe’s cascara-style drink — a collaboration with Flo brewery using the pulp and skin of Geisha cherries from Finca el Puente. This is notable context for Kaiserblick, which also produces coffee cherry by-products.
El Salvador — Los Pirineos Relationship
Tim Wendelboe has sourced from Finca Los Pirineos since 2010, making this one of the longest-running direct-trade relationships in Salvadoran specialty coffee — now over 15 years.
The relationship predates Diego Baraona’s tenure (from 2020). Tim knew Gilberto Baraona personally and credits Diego’s humble, team-first approach at succession with enabling the farm to continue producing top-quality coffee.
Current active product (as at May 2026): Los Pirineos Pacamara (February 2025 harvest), Washed, 250g for $20. Flavour notes: tart red berries, stone fruit, dark chocolate. (source: Tim Wendelboe (website))
The website notes Pacamara’s genetic instability (released before the cultivar was stabilised), and credits Gilberto Baraona’s multi-year selection work with producing consistently award-winning lots. Diego is continuing this selection programme.
TW Biological Project
In November 2023, Tim Wendelboe announced a 10-year regenerative farming goal: by 2034, all coffees purchased should come from regenerative farming systems. To launch this, the TW Biological Project was established in partnership with Biofilia, an agronomy team based in Mexico.
The project is a 3-year field trial running across all Tim Wendelboe’s Central and South American farms — including Los Pirineos. Biological methods are measured against conventional methods currently in use.
Goals:
- Better yields and quality → higher farmer profitability
- Improved carbon sequestration
- Increased on-farm biodiversity
- Climate change resilience
- Reduced input costs for producers
Approach: replace mineral fertilisers, fungicides, and pesticides with nature-based inputs (compost, microbial inoculants) — the same philosophy underlying Kaiserblick’s organic farming programme. (source: Tim Wendelboe (website))
Transparency Reports
Since 2010, Tim Wendelboe has published the prices paid for every coffee purchased. Annual reports (2021–2024 currently available) are publicly accessible on the website.
Stated rationale:
- Fair pricing and sustainability are inseparable; farmers cannot invest in sustainable practices without a living income
- Published benchmarks help other committed roasters understand what quality coffee is worth
- Farmers can use the reports as leverage in their own negotiations with buyers
Prices are based on actual production costs, negotiated directly with farmers. Tim Wendelboe signed The Pledge (2019) and supports the Specialty Coffee Transaction Guide (Emory University) — an independent benchmark for fair green coffee pricing. (source: Tim Wendelboe (website))
This last point is directly relevant to Kaiserblick: Tim Wendelboe’s reports are a citable, credible pricing benchmark when positioning El Salvador specialty coffee for European buyers. (source: Tim Wendelboe (website))
Competitive and Strategic Relevance for Kaiserblick
- Represents a proven premium European buyer channel for Salvadoran specialty coffee — 15+ year commitment to a single ES farm at top-tier quality.
- Wendelboe’s processing spec (raised beds, shade nets, GrainPro, vacuum pack) maps closely to Kaiserblick’s operational direction.
- The TW Biological Project running at Los Pirineos creates a direct conversation link — Kaiserblick’s organic/regenerative programme shares the same philosophy and could be framed as a natural fit.
- Transparency report benchmarks (24/250g for Pacamara honey from Honduras) give Kaiserblick credible price anchors for European outreach.
- The Specialty Coffee Transaction Guide and The Pledge provide independently citable benchmarks that Tim Wendelboe endorses — useful reference in buyer negotiations.
- Ben Symes is the wholesale manager — direct B2B contact.